Secondary independent feed actuator for sewing machines



Oct. 17, 1961 H. ERLICHMAN 3,004,503

SECONDARY INDEPENDENT FEED ACTUATOR FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 17, 1961 Filed Aug. 4, 1958 H. ERLICHMAN 3,004,503

SECONDARY INDEPENDENT FEED ACTUATOR FOR SEWING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HIM Z? ifiZ/(HM Y/V 3,004,503 SECONDARY INDEPENDENT FEED ACTUATOR FOR SEWING MACHINES Henry Erlichman, 126 Blake Ave., Brooklyn, NY. Filed Aug. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 752,809 4 Claims. (Cl. 112-160) This invention relates to sewing machines and, more particularly, to an attachment therefor.

It has been found that various sewing operations can be expedited by providing a lateral feed mechanism for shifting the material being sewed back and forth in a direction normal to the normal feed direction of the sewing machine. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a secondary independent feed actututor for sewing machines that will effect such reciprocating lateral movement of the material during its longitudinal path of movement through the sewing needles of themachine.

- Another object of the present invention is to provide a secondary independent feed actuator of this type that is driven and controlled completely independently of the normal feed mechanism of the machine.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a secondary independent feed actuator for sewing machines that can be readily installed in existing single or multiple machines, or can be incorporated in new production models in a simple and convenient manner.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a feed actuator of the type described that is extremely simple in construction, efiicient in operation, and which can be manufactured and installed in large quantities at a relatively low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a secondary independent feed actuator for sewing machines made in accordance with the present invention in operative use;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of certain parts of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged transverse cross sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIGURE 4, illustrating a slide plate made in accordance with one form of the present invention;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6, showing a slightly modified form of construction;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary plan view of material stitched by means of apparatus made in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8, showing a different type of stitch formed by the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGURE 1 thereof, a secondary independent feed actuator assembly 10 made in accordance with the present invention is shown in operative position upon the bed 12 of a multiple needle sewing machine having sewing needles 14 carried in a conventional manner in spaced apart relationship by the needle head.

A cam wheel 16 is secured to a cam shaft 17 that is driven by the drive mechanism of the sewing machine one complete revolution for each operating cycle of the sewing needles. The cam wheel includes an eccentric cam United States Patent 0 3,004,503 Patented Oct. 17, 1961 slot' 19 within which a follower 20 is slidably supported. The follower 20, in turn, is secured to one end of a shank 23 and is pivotally mounted at its opposite end, by means of a pivotpin 24 to a mounting block 26. A turnbuckle 22 interposed intermediate the ends of the shank 23 provides means for adjusting the stroke of the mounting block 26 which is secured by means of screws 27 to the upper surface of a slide plate 28.

As is more clearly shown in FIGURES 2 through 6 of the drawing, the slide plate 28 made in accordance with one form of the present invention is shown to have a lower serrated surface 29 with spaced apart parallel feet 30 at each opposite longitudinal extremity thereof. These feet 30 also have serrations 31 and are intended to straddie the opposite sides of a strip of material that is fed through the machine in the normal feed direction. However, the serrated bottom surface of the plate is operative to effect movement of such strip of material laterally of the normal feed direction in response to reciprocation of the slide plate 28, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. V

With specific reference to FIGURES 2, 4, and 5 of the drawing, it will be noted that the side edges 35 of the slide plate are inclined upwardly and diverge outwardly relative to each other to define a dovetail member that is slidably received within a similar shaped dovetail groove 36 in the bottom of a presser foot 37. This presser foot has an upwardly and forwardly inclined face 38 for guidingly directing the material being sewed beneath the presser foot and slide plate during use and is further provided with an upwardly extending leg 39 that is connected to the needle head of the machine. A pivot pin 40 pivotally connects the presser foot 37 to this leg 39 for slight tilting movement of the assembly during use.

In actual use, the leg 39 is attached to the needle head of the machine directly beneath the sets of needles 14, 15. Holes 43, 44 through the presser foot 37 in alignment with the needles 14, 15, respectively, slidably receive such needles therethrough during the sewing operation. The slide plate 28, however, is provided with elongated slots 41, 42 that allow the needles to pass through the assembly during the reciprocating movement of the slide plate. As a result, the position of the fabric strip 47 being fed longitudinally through the machine in the normal feed direction during the sewing thereof, may be shifted laterally by the slide plate 28 to produce the stagger stitches 48 in the fabric 49 and similar stitches 51 in leather 52, illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9 of the draw mg.

With reference now to FIGURE 7 of the drawing, a slightly modified form of slide plate 45 is illustrated in which the serrated lower surface thereof is substantially contained within a single plane and is devoid of the aforementioned feed on the opposite ends thereof. This type of slide plate may be used with wider pieces of material that are not to be guided through a proscribed slot or path of movement.

While this attachment is particularly suited for multineedle types of sewing machines, it may also be adapted for use with single needle machines, if desired. In any event, the reciprocating lateral movement of the slide plate during the longituidnal feeding of the material through the sewing machine is operative to provide a quilting or stagger type stitch in a simple and efficient manner without materially altering or changing the normal functions of the machine. The unit is also out of the way of the operator and completely housed within an enclosure 25 which prevents accidental injury by the moving parts.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention,-which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Fatent:

1. A secondary feed actuator for -.sewing machines comprising, in combination, a substantially rigid leg for attachment-to the needle-head of asewing machine, a presser foot pivotally supported upon said leg, a plate slidably supported beneath said presservfoot for reciprocating. longitudinal movement in a direction normal to the feeddirection of. the machine, and transmission means for reciprocating said-plate during each operating cycle of the sewing machine, vsaid presser foot including a plurality of needle receiving openings extending trans versely therethrough in a direction normal to the plane of movement of said plate, said plate having a plurality oi longitudinal slots, formed therewithin,tsaid.slots communicating with said openings throughout the length of travel of saidplate, said transmission means comprising acam wheel adapted to besupported upon the bed of the sewing machine for rotation within a plane parallel to. the plane of movement of said plate, a shank pivotal-1y connected at one end of said plate, and a follower carried byatheopposite. end of said shank in guided engagement with said cam wheel, and a turn buckle integral with saidshank for selectively adjusting the position of said plate to thereby displace the field of reciprocation of said plate.

'2. A secondary-feed-actuatorfor sewingmachines as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plate comprises a substantially flat plate section having a plurality of serrations on one lower surface thereofl 3. A secondary feed actuator for sewing machines as set forth in claim 2, whe'reinsaid serrated plate section lies substantially within v a single plane.

4. A secondary feed actuator for sewing machines as set forth in claim 1,"wherein said serrated plate section further comprises'ta' pairvofilaterally spaced apart feet, each one of saidfeefhaving a plurality of serrations, and the space between said feet defining a, guide for receiving a strip of material to be processed longitudinally therethrough. g

References Cited inthe'file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 243,740 Thomas July5, 1881 540,675 Merrow June 11, 1895 629,881 Towns et al. Aug. 1, 1899 1 677,318 Merritt June 25, 1901 1,147,614 Dearborn July 20, 1915 1,220,726 Chalman ,Mar. 27, 1917 1,581,221 Moifatt c Apr. "20, 1926 1,955,689 Spencer Apr. 17, 1934 2,152,766 Lewin Apr. 4, 1939 Ayres Jan. 24, 1956 

